Risk Factors Associated with Severe Disease in COVID-19

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics and risk factors associated with severe disease in COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A total of 186 adult patients (97 female) hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19 (laboratory-confirmed cases, SARS-CoV-2-RNA detected with the molecular method) between March 2020-May 2020 were included in the study. The possible risk factors evaluated were age, gender, comorbidities, smoking, symptoms, and laboratory parameters at the time of admission to the hospital. Results: The patients comprised 97 (52.2%) females, evaluated as severe COVID-19 in 43 (23.1%) cases and non-severe COVID-19 in 143 (76.9%) cases. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified risk factors for severe COVID-19 to be age >65 years (odds ratio (OR)=5.289, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.680-16.651, p:0.004), and elevated levels of LDH (OR=8.521, 95% CI:2.445-29.702, p:0.001), ferritin (OR=7.436, 95% CI:2.171-25.468, p:0.001), D-dimer (OR=10.076, 95% CI: 2.758-36.813, p65 years, and elevated LDH, ferritin, D-dimer, CK-MB, and troponin levels are independent risk factors. Clinicians should consider these potential risk factors for progression to severe disease when treating COVID-19 patients.